Friday, December 16, 2011

Top Five Video Game Collections

The collection-- we've seen plenty of HD ones over the past couple of years such as The Sly Collection. God of War Collection, Metal Gear Solid Collection, Devil May Cry Collection, among others. Those don't hold a candle to the compendiums contained on this Friday's top five list of best video game collections. These give players the biggest bang for their buck. Enough out of me, though, let's see which ones are top of the heap.

5) Mega Man Anniversary Collection (PS2)

I'm talking solely about the PlayStation 2 version and not the GameCube or Xbox ones. The reason for this is because the jumping and shooting buttons are switched on the GameCube version, plus the remixed music is not present either. The Xbox iteration has that uncomfortable controller, so the PS2 entry automatically wins. Featuring ten games (Mega Man 1-8, and both Power Fighters arcade games), remixed music, updated UI in-game (both optional), and artwork, get your Mega Man on with this awesome anniversary collection.

4) Super Mario All-Stars (SNES, Wii)

Released a year or so ago on Wii with a bonus CD for $30 and also available on cartridge for the Super Nintendo, one of the greatest consoles of all time, Super Mario All-Stars features four games (Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels) with remastered and touched up graphics. What was once 8-bit is now 16-bit, and boy, does it look glorious! Special copies of the SNES version contained five games (the aforementioned titles along with Super Mario World). Which ever version of the compendium of Mario's earliest titles you decide to go with, you are bound to reignite your love for everything Mario and Mushroom Kingdom.

3) Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii)

Three sensational games for the low price of fifty dollars? Did I mention that each game had added motion controls that made these the definitive versions of these titles? Metroid Prime was already an incredible experience, but with pointer functionality added, the game was on a whole 'nother level. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, while not superior to its predecessor, is still worth blasting through Aether for. The new controls truly add a huge amount to the experience, and Wii owners would be amiss if they didn't manage to scrounge up a copy. Unfortunately, Metroid Prime Trilogy is the only compilation on our list that was manufactured in rare and limited quantities, so good luck finding a used copy under seventy dollars!

2) Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection

Possessing over thirty unique and individual Genesis or Mega Drive games, Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection had the best games from the SEGA's 16-bit escapades. Included were games like Sonic the Hedgehog (of course), Kid Chameleon, Ristar (one of my personal favorites from the collection), Decap Attack, Flicky, Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine, Alex Kidd, Beyond Oasis, Columns, Comix Zone, Ecco the Dolphin, Vectorman 1 & 2, and much, much more. With trophies and achievements for those that dig those collectibles, awesome artwork, and behind-the-scenes interviews with various developers, and you have one anthology worth picking up. You can do so on the cheap by the by...1) The Orange Box (PS3, 360)

Five games for fifty dollars, and they are some of the best titles to come from Valve? Where do I sign? The Orange Box is the ultimate in value with Half-Life 2, Episode One, Episode Two, the online zaniness of Team Fortress 2, and the puzzling romp of the original Portal. Rated highly with a Metacritic of 96 by reviewers both trustworthy and not-so-reputable, The Orange Box is the highest-rated collection on this list which is another reason why it is number one here. With countless replay value in both the single-player games and the multiplayer-centric Team Fortress 2, you will be playing this compendium long after you've reached 1000/1000 on your Gamerscore.

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Which gaming collections do you fancy? Let your old friend SuperPhillip and everyone else who reads SPC know in the comments section below!